"Delightful and moving . This isn''t a book in which candy serves as some lofty metaphor for something greater and more boring than itself; it is a book in which candy is celebrated as candy on its own terms. Life is short and, sometimes, sweet. Let''s savor it while we can. Let''s gift this book to everyone we love, along with their favorite candies. They can take their first bite while reading Perry''s matching ode." - Vauhini Vara, author of Searches and The Immortal King Rao "Sweet Nothings is something very special: an astoundingly smart and meticulously researched book that is as much about longing and desire as it is about the magic of candy. Perry''s prose is exuberant, lush, and full of delicious surprises; I want to tattoo Forsyth Harmon''s adorable drawings all over my body.

This book lit up bittersweet parts of childhood I''d long forgotten--I can''t wait to press it into the hands of friends with strong opinions about their favorite treats (i.e., everyone!). Perry is an astonishing talent and the world is a sweeter, more beautiful place because of her work." - Kimberly King Parsons, author of Black Light and We Were the Universe "Candies serve as the jumping-off points for these delectable essays from memoirist Perry (After the Eclipse). The evocative prose finds surprising depth in sugary confections. This is one to savor." - Publishers Weekly "Sarah Perry''s Sweet Nothings is a catalogue of candy that encourages us to see everything from Pop Rocks to Lemonheads with joy and complexity, pleasure and depth.

Weaving together memoir and a robust cultural critique of all things sweet, Perry shows the reader how the smallest parts of the world can offer us a profound lens for reflection and wonder." - Heather Radke, author of Butts: A Backstory "Though I would read Sarah Perry write about doorknobs, how lucky for us that she turns her precise, searching and funny voice to the subject of candy. What Perry has created here is nothing less than a wholly original exploration of how we eat, love, and experience pleasure now." - Emma Copley Eisenberg, nationally bestselling author of Housemates "A confection, a barrel of delights, a feast of delicious, melt-in-your-mouth brilliance. Sarah Perry will make you want to run to the store and stock up on treats, but she also knows the truth: the store closed years ago. This is a book of gummy, twisty toothaches and heartbreaks, a thrilling take on memory and nostalgia, where the real candy is Perry''s unfailingly wise and tender prose. Sweet Nothings is actually really something." - Hilary Leichter, author of Temporary and Terrace Story "Skillfully uniting strands of memory, culture, and sensory data, Sarah Perry creates a delectable confection of thought and feeling, making the topic of candy as utterly irresistible to the mind as it is to the mouth.

- Alexandra Kleeman, author of Something New Under the Sun "Perry, a true aficionado, is remarkably adept at chronicling the most minute details of candy.Here''s hoping that this thoroughly delectable essay collection prompts many readers to (re)discover their own sweet tooth --- and cherish their wild, precious memories." - Book Reporter "Perry and candy have a magnetic relationship, inexorably drawn to each other. While Perry''s accounts of candy consumption are sensual, almost tactile, and indescribably delicious, each chapter is also a pathway to deep recollection of the past, not all of it sugarcoated. Perry can tap into the communal candy memory with a fine comedic touch, calling forth many a Yes! moment. With flair and a winning nostalgia, a certified sugar hound of the first order shares her obsessions." - Kirkus Reviews "Perry''s accounts of strategic consumption are indescribably delicious, almost tactile. She demonstrates that texture matters, sometimes more than taste.

Sweet Nothings is equal parts confessional, ritual and reverie. Perry has a lovely, lilting writing style. But there is an edgy intelligence here, and her book is not all fun and games." - Post and Courier.